Elderly Motorist Injured In Lake Elsinore Bus Accident

December 4, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

Margaret Birch, 75, suffered serious injuries in a serious Lake Elsinore car accident that occurred on November 29, 2010, around 3:00 p.m. According to California Highway Patrol Officer Ron Thatcher, Birch pulled her minivan in front of a school bus when the collision occurred. The impact of the car crash was so strong that Birch’s car was pinned under the school bus.

Fortunately, all the 51 school students who were traveling in the bus escaped unhurt. Birch was immediately transported to Inland Valley Regional Medical Center in Wildomar to receive treatment for her leg injuries.

This accident is a good illustration of one of the main rules of the road: always watch out for traffic before entering an intersection or roadway. If you do not look for cross-traffic, you can possibly violate another motorist’s right of way and cause an accident. Even worse, that motorist may be driving a larger vehicle—such as a school bus—placing you and your passengers in danger of serious injury or even death.

We sincerely hope and pray that Birch did not suffer any life-threatening injuries in this bus accident.

Paralyzed San Diego Rollover Car Accident Victim Beats Ford Motor Co….Again (x6)

December 1, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

We’ve written before about Benetta Buell-Wilson’s ongoing fight with Ford Motor Company regarding her record-breaking $369 million trial court verdict after her Ford Explorer rolled over on Interstate 8 (I-8), which left her paralyzed due to a crushed spine (Crippled San Diego Injury Victim Beats Ford Motor Co.; Record San Diego Roll-Over Verdict to be Reviewed).

Well, Buell-Wilson won again and this time it is final. Ms. Buell-Wilson has been fighting since she was injured earlier this decade and for the last five years since a San Diego jury awarded her $369 million, including $27.6 million in compensatory damages and nearly $340 million in punitive damages. After several appeals, including a reduction of the total verdict to $82 million, the United States Supreme Court finally ended this legal ordeal by failing to accept Ford Motor Company’s appeal. Ford will now be forced to pay Buell-Wilson the $82 million verdict.

In June 2002, Buell-Wilson was severely injured and paralyzed while she was driving on I-8 near Tavern Road in Alpine in East San Diego County. The San Diego County auto accident occurred when she swerved to avoid an object on the freeway, causing her vehicle to roll over several times and come to rest on its’ roof. Buell-Wilson alleged that the design of the Ford Explorer because it was unstable and had a weak roof, particularly at its’ “C pillar” behind the front seat and in front of the rear seat.

Congratulations to Buell-Wilson and her husband. It takes a great deal of determination and courage to fight a multi-billion dollar company like Ford to get the compensation one deserves and to punish Ford for its’ knowing failure to make a safe vehicle. We hope they now have peace.

2 Bicyclists Struck in Separate Car Crashes

November 30, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

Two cyclists, a 10-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman, are recovering from injuries they sustained after being hit by vehicles in two different auto accidents in San Diego.

The 10-year-old girl was riding eastbound on Catalina Boulevard at about 7:20 a.m. Tuesday when a 2011 Chevy van turned the corner on Wilcoz and hit her at the intersection. Despite what most people think, the young girl knows how to ride and was doing it safely. She competes in triathlons for kids and was riding in front of her dad, who was training with her. Her father barely avoided the collision.
The girl was taken to the hospital for a fractured leg and collar bone.

The 23-year-old woman sustained non-life-threatening facial fractures when a Hyundai SUV tried to pass her on the 4900 block of College Avenue, near Cresita Drive, at about 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The 55 year-old SUV driver was obviously in too much of a hurry to wait until it was safe to pass.

Both drivers’ negligent driving caused these bicycle accidents, and they may be held liable for the damages, including medical bills, loss of income, etc. The victims’ family should immediately seek counsel with a San Diego County bike collision attorney to learn about how to get the compensation they need to cover these expenses.

Pedestrian Struck, Another Killed Crossing El Cajon

November 28, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

25-year-old Melissa N. Ferreira was killed in a tragic car wreck that occurred on November 19, 2011, around 2 a.m. in front of the El Cajon Grand Bar on Main Street. According to El Cajon police officers, a man and woman were struck by a Mitsubishi Montero going westbound in front of the bar.

Ferreira suffered fatal blunt force trauma and was pronounced dead at the accident scene. The male pedestrian suffered non-life threatening injuries and was immediately taken to nearby hospital for treatment.

The SUV’s driver stopped immediately following the crash and was cooperating with investigators. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased pedestrian. From the available information, it is unclear what led to this serious pedestrian accident. The accident is still under investigation. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor.

The deceased’s family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced San Diego County car crash lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights and help them obtain compensation to cover the burial and burial costs, loss of anticipated earnings, and other accident-related damages. The injured pedestrian may also file a personal injury claim to obtain compensation to cover treatment, medical and hospital costs.

Our law office sends our condolences to Ferreira’s family and hope that the injuries suffered by the other pedestrian heal soon.

Fatal Oxnard Truck Accident Kills Young Boy

November 28, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

6-year-old Anthony Martinez was killed in a tragic pickup-truck wreck that occurred on November 24, 2011, around 4:20 p.m. at the 1300 block of W. Olive Street. According to Cmdr. Tom Chronister, Martinez was riding his bike along the sidewalk, entered the street, and was struck 50-year-old Jesus Calderon Ruvalcaba.

Martinez suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the accident scene. From the available information, it is unclear what led to this serious truck wreck. Was the driver speeding? If it is found that the truck driver was driving negligently or recklessly, then he might be held liable for the young boy’s death.

Meanwhile, the injured juvenile’s family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced Ventura County bicycle accident lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights. This lawyer may also help young boy’s parents obtain compensation to cover treatment, medical and hospital costs.

Our personal injury law office sends sincere condolences to the young boy’s parents.

California Bans Texting While Driving

November 27, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

On July 1st, 2008, California passed a law that made it illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving, unless the driver had a hands-free device, such as a Blue Tooth enabled headset. The purpose of this legal adjustment was to rid drivers of distractions and allow them to concentrate more fully on the road.

When this law was enacted, instead of removing distractions, a new demon came about: texting. Engaging in texting, which requires users to both read, type, and send, suddenly appeared to make talking on the phone much less harmful. In response to this, California made it illegal to text while driving on January 1st, 2009, anywhere within the State, including San Diego County.

While the exact statistics of accidents caused while texting are difficult to ascertain, illegally texting while driving could potentially lead to some of the following scenarios:

  • Hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Oceanside, CA
  • Fatally injuring a biker along the road in Coronado, CA
  • Rear-ending a semi-truck on the freeway in San Diego, CA
  • Running a red light at an intersection in Santee, CA
  • Failing to navigate a curve and plummeting in a ditch on State Route 67 in Ramona, CA

According to a 2006 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the leading factor in most car crashes and truck wrecks were deemed to be driver inattention.

Not all states have laws against talking on the phone or texting while operating motor vehicles. A lot of states are still wrestling with this issue as they have seen a ride in fatal car accidents due to texting and cell phone usage. But all who take the road in California are subject to California laws, and all drivers are responsible for their automobiles and remaining free of distractions.

If you or a loved one are the victim of a car accident caused by a driver’s inattention, and especially while on the phone or driving, you deserve to be compensated for your sufferings, and you may need a lawyer to help you win your case. We have the experience and quality in serving the San Diego County personal injury victims.

With convenient offices near the trolley line in Downtown San Diego and in Carlsbad, CA for our clients in North San Diego County, we are dedicated to helping the victims of car accidents in the San Diego County and to providing a high level of responsiveness, communication, and personal attention.

Postponing a conference call will not kill you; looking down to answer your phone and missing a red light could.

Avoiding Bicycle Accidents

November 27, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

Safety Tips for San Diego Bicycle Riders to Avoid Common Accidents

In a city like San Diego, bicycle riders are abundant. Unfortunately, that also means that bike accidents are more frequent than in other cities. What can you, as a biker, do to help maintain safety and avoid getting hit by a car or truck? Of course, bike riders should take normal precautions such as wearing protective gear and reflectors to help other cars and vehicles see you on the road. If bicyclists routinely did this, the number of bike accidents would be greatly reduced.

There are other routine safety tips that bike riders should follow. If you’re riding at night, get a light. If you have a horn or other noisemaker, be sure to sound it to alert drivers of your presence. And you should be in the habit to slow down when nearing intersections in case you do not have enough time to take safe measures.

However, there are some bicycle crashes which can not be prevented simply by using the proper protective gear and safety equipment. Of these frequent bike accidents, there are several typical kinds which replay themselves over and over. Here are a few ways to avoid these common bicycle accidents.

The Right Cross

This bicycle accident happens when a bicyclist comes up to an intersection with a car approaching perpendicular to the bike on the right. Rather than wait for the bicyclist to cross the intersection, the car pulls out into the intersection and pulls out in front of the bike or “t-bones” the bicyclist when the car enters the nearest lane of traffic.

Many times, bicyclists ride as far to the right of their road as they can. However, when it comes to intersections, if you can come out a little further so that you are riding a car’s width away from the curb, it is much safer. That is because more car drivers are likely to look for cross traffic coming from the lane of traffic, compared to looking for bikes or cars near the sidewalk.

Door Collisions

If you’re riding on a street where cars frequent parallel park near the curbline, do not ride close to the parked cars. A lot of drivers will keep a car door open while they collect things or will unexpectedly open their door, which could lead to you crashing into the car door.

If you can safely move further to the left away from the parked cars without interfering with traffic, be sure to do so. Otherwise, slow down and drive your bike patiently. It may be inconvenient, but it’s better than getting in an accident.

The Right Hook

Often, when a bicyclist is going straight through an intersection, drivers try to overtake the bike rider and then make a right hand turn in front of them. This can oftentimes lead to the car driver miscalculating how far ahead he is from the bicyclist and making it more likely that the bike rider will collide with the vehicle making a right hand turn.

When approaching an intersection, it is helpful to ride in the street to avoid being put in this position. Riding in the sidewalk is not preferable. First, sidewalks are for pedestrians. But, more importantly, sidewalks make you much more invisible to the traffic than you would be if you were riding alongside a car. Be sure to ride to the left, a comfortable distance between the curb and right hand turn lane. If you take up a little more space, it makes it harder for vehicles to overtake you or cut you off. Glance in your mirror before crossing the intersection.

If you don’t have handlebar or helmet mirrors, they would be a wise investment.

While these are just a few of dozens of the typical bike accident scenarios, working to maintain your safety in these give you skills to deal with other typical accidents. Bike riders tend to be at a disadvantage when they are involved in San Diego car accidents and often times risk death. Err on the side of safety and keep San Diego a safe, bike-able city.

Elderly Man Crashes Car Into La Mesa Store

November 26, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

An unidentified elderly man crashed his car into the wall of Cost Plus World Market in La Mesa on November 17, 2010. The elderly car driver said that his foot hit the accelerator and the car went in reverse. It appears that the man did not realize that his car was in reverse and was attempting to drive forward. According to witnesses, the elderly car driver crashed into three mailboxes and parts of a concrete wall before his car came to rest against the wall.

The auto accident raises several concerns that are often mentioned about elderly drivers. Even assuming that the elderly driver did not realize his car was in reverse, why didn’t he remove his foot from the accelerator and apply the brake as soon as his car went backward? Why did it take a concrete wall to stop the vehicle? Presumably, if the car did not collide with the wall it would have kept on traveling and could have struck and killed or injured pedestrians or other motorists. Should elderly drivers be tested more frequently? Should elderly drivers be allowed on the road past a certain age? After their motor skills deteriorate to the point when they don’t realize which direction they are going? Or after they cannot apply the brakes quickly? These are legitimate questions but have to be tempered with the desire of elderly drivers to remain independent and be able to commute on their own as needed.

We are very thankful that no other motorist or pedestrian was injured in this La Mesa car accident.

Carlsbad Hit-and-Run Car Accident Leaves Pedestrian Injured

November 23, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

62-year-old George W. Brown was injured in a serious car wreck that occurred on November 20, 2011, around 3:15 a.m. in the 300 block of Carlsbad Village Dr. According to police spokesperson Josh Bubnis, Brown was found unconscious, lying on his side in the eastbound lanes of Carlsbad Village Drive.

Brown suffered serious head injuries and was immediately transported to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla for medical treatment. From the available information, it is unclear what led to this serious car wreck. The accident is under investigation.

The hit-and-run driver committed felony of leaving the accident scene and may be held accountable under California Vehicle Code 20001 (a) which states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”

Meanwhile, the injured victim’s family members should immediately seek counsel from an experienced San Diego County pedestrian accident lawyer who would educate them about their legal rights. This lawyer may also help the victim obtain compensation for the losses occurred in this crash.

Our personal injury law office hopes that the injuries suffered by Brown do not prove fatal or have long-term effects.

Four Injured in San Francisco Cable Car Accident

November 21, 2018 Injury Lawyer San Diego 0

Four people were injured in a San Francisco cable car accident on the San Francisco Municipal Railway on November 21, 2009, when the cable car stopped without warning causing them to fall. The car stopped because a strand on the underground cable had started to detach. Cable cars use the cable to drive the cars along San Francisco’s many hills.

According to police, the injured people included the cable car conductor, gripman, and two other passengers. The initial investigation reveals that the cable car operator was unable to release the cable car grip from the partially torn cable and the conductor then asked central control to shut down the system. At the time of the accident, the car was headed to Fisherman’s Wharf.

At this time it is too early to determine whether a legal claim can be made on behalf of the injured victims. However, if the strand detached from the cable due to a manufacturer’s defect or poor maintenance, a claim may be successfully made.

If you or a loved one has ever been injured or killed in a San Francisco personal injury accident, contact San Francisco injury lawyer and the San Francisco, CA accident attorneys.